Superintendent Report Highlights
Healthcare Workforce Development - Students from the High School's Nursing Assistant Program, Aliya Ade and Siham Mohamoud, met with Healthcare industry professionals at the HealthPartners Neuroscience building to envision new ways of healthcare workforce development and creating pipelines for the future.
Aliya and Siham shared their experiences, perspectives, and hopes for the future. Thank you to Aliya and Siham for sharing your voices and thank you to SLP community member, parent and alum Karen McCaren for orchestrating this important meeting.
District Band Showcase - For more than 30 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. On March 9, our Music Department held its annual districtwide band showcase.
Middle School Quiz Bowl Team Qualifies for Nationals - One of our amazing Quiz Bowl Teams qualified for Nationals at the tournament on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Our Middle School team finished in the top 15% of the field at a middle school varsity tournament that uses NAQT questions and is attended by teams from at least three schools.
Our SLP Team A came in fourth place, thereby qualifying to attend the National Competition held in Chicago this May. We are currently on a waiting list but still hopeful this may take place so we are able to attend. The Middle School National Championship Tournament Nationals in Chicago the weekend of May 12-14, 2023.
The SLP Team A students include:
Elise Hogg - 7th grade
(placed third individually overall and received her second trophy this school year)
Tyber Augustine - 8th grade
Riley Hicks - 7th grade
Cesar Wood - 8th grade
This was one of our most successful tournaments to date since Quiz Bowl began at our middle school in 2018. We wouldn't be able to participate in these Saturday games without the support of the families who step in and help with assistant coaching.
Richard Green Scholar Award - Superintendent Osei has received recognition through MASA's (Minnesota Association of School Administrators) Richard Green Scholars Program which honors the scholarly work and professional development of Minnesota school leaders through the award of an annual recognition for the research, writing and presentation of one paper reflecting the practice of excellent school leadership.
Superintendent Osei will be recognized at the MASA Spring Conference and will present his paper at the MASA Fall Conference. The Richard Green Scholars Program was named to honor former Minneapolis Superintendent Richard R. Green, who modeled innovation and distinction in the child-centered practice of exemplary school leadership. Congratulations, Superintendent Osei!
Dr. Patrick Duffy’s Book - Questions regarding Dr. Duffy's book were brought to the attention of the School Board at the School Board Listening Session on Feb. 21. We have looked into the claims of the book being a "conflict of interest" and that is not the case. We did seek a legal opinion on the alleged violation of the Conflict of Interest Policy (policy 436). The lawyer for the district did not see a violation. However, we can assure you that we take these types of concerns seriously and will provide additional information about Dr. Duffy's book below.
Dr. Duffy's book has three parts:
- his personal racial autobiography growing up in Grand Marais;
- an ethnographic study of an anonymous school district in Minnesota based on his doctoral research before he worked in SLP; and
- anecdotes from various school districts about how tenets for student leadership development have been and can be applied.
To honor the work of St. Louis Park, he invited 10 individuals who have experienced our district in various capacities to share short narratives about the work their experience and/or work they are currently doing or have done in the area of anti-racist leadership. Each of these narratives is 1-2 pages long.
Dr. Duffy has not conducted any studies in St. Louis Park Public Schools connected to this book. It is also important to note that in addition to being employed in St. Louis Park Public Schools, Dr. Duffy is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota where he teaches a class on Leadership for Teaching and Learning. The University of Minnesota has asked him to contribute his expertise to their Masters, Doctorate, and licensure programs for the principalship and for their teaching and learning directors.
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